A study on the effect of the size and posture of tongue and craniofacial morphology on generalized spaced dentition

Kim, Sun Hwa

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the size and posture of tongue and craniofacial morphology on spaced dentition and compare the correlation between tongue size, craniofacial skeleton and dental arch size in generalized spaced and crowded group, The sample consisted of four groups, the 36 subjects of generalized spaced group(maxillary and mandibular spaced group), the 11 subjects of maxillary spaced group, the 8 subjects of mandibular spaced group and the 32 subjects of crowded group, Tongue size were measured on the lateral cephalometric radiograph, craniofacial skeleton were measured on the lateral and P-A cephalometric radiograph and dental arch size were measured on study casts, These data from lateral & P-A cephalometric radiograph and study casts were statistically analyzed to examine significant difference between groups and compare the correlation between each measurements. The results of this study were as follows.: 1. Length of the tongue was the largest in maxillary spaced group and the smallest in crowded group. Posture of the tongue was the highest in maxillary spaced group and the lowest in mandibular spaced group. Area of the tongue was larger in spaced group than in crowded group. 2. In comparison of the craniofacial skeleton and dental arch size, generalized spaced grouphad larger Mx. length, Mn. length, posterior cranial base length, craniofacial width anddental arch than crowded group. 3. The effect of the tongue on dental arch were larger in spaced group than in crowded group 4. In both groups, interjugal width and interantegonial width had large effect on dental archwidth, especially spaced group had higher correlation than crowded group 5. The effect of tongue on craniofacial skeleton were expected larger in spaced group than in crowded group, especially interjugal and interantegonial width showed high correlation with length, posture and area of tongue.